1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical syringe. More specifically, the present invention discloses a safety syringe with a retractable needle and safety lock, for extracting blood.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Syringes are utilized by medical workers for a variety of uses including injecting and withdrawing blood samples.
However, due to the fixed nature of conventional syringes, accidents are far to common. Such accidents include, puncture by exposed needles and contamination or infection caused by contact with residual blood left on the needle or syringe after use. Due to the harmful or fatal nature of such diseases, contaminates, or infections, such accidents endanger the lives of medical personal working in doctor""s offices, clinics or hospitals.
Medical personal can be further exposed to danger if syringes are not disposed of properly after use. Additionally, if a syringe is re-used, accidentally or other wise, a patient may be infected or contaminated by contact with residual blood left on the used syringe.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved safety syringe for extracting blood, with retractable needle that can be retracted into the syringe body after use, having safety locks that lock the retractable needle in an extended position during use and in a retracted position after use to ensure that the syringe is not reused or that the needle is not inadvertently extended so as to provide more safety for medical workers and patients. Additionally, the needle assembly can be removed from the syringe after use and properly disposed and the syringe plastic material may be recycled accordingly.
To achieve these and other advantages and in order to overcome the disadvantages of the conventional method in accordance with the purpose of the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention provides an improved safety syringe for extracting blood, with retractable needle that can be retracted into the syringe body after use and safety locks that lock the retractable needle in an extended position during use and in a retracted position after use to ensure that the syringe is not reused or that the needle is not inadvertently extended so as to provide more safety for medical workers.
The safety syringe basically comprises a tube with guiding track, a needle retaining base, a needle mounting base, and a button. The button comprises a button face, a prong, an end tip, and a ridge.
The needle mounting base comprises a mount whereby a needle can be attached to the needle mounting base. A ridge formed on the needle mounting base to mate with a matching groove in the needle retaining base. A bump provides a snapping lock for holding the needle mounting base onto the needle retaining base. Note, the ridge and groove may be inverted to provide a groove in the needle mounting base and a ridge in the needle retaining base. A flow tube extends through the needle mounting base with one end exposed in an opening of the mount in a top side of the needle mounting base and another end exposed in the bottom of the needle mounting base. The end of the flow tube has a sharp tip for puncturing the seal of the vacuum vial. The flow tube allows for blood to flow from the needle into the vacuum vial. The end of the flow tube may or may not extend to be exposed through the top of the opening and is positioned to allow mating with the needle. A top tab protrudes from the top end of the needle mounting base. A bottom tab protrudes from the bottom end of the needle mounting base. The top tab and bottom tab provide a slot for mating with the end tip of the button thereby affixing the button and the needle mounting base.
The needle retaining base comprises an opening with a groove for mating with the needle retaining base and the ridge. This arrangement allows the needle retaining base to affix in a correct position to the needle mounting base. A slot in the top of the needle retaining base comprises a groove to mate with a mating ridge on the button. This arrangement allows the button to be affixed to the needle retaining base and still provide free in and out movement of the button. A notch is provided to increase flexibility in the sidewall of the needle retaining base. A slot is provided in the sidewall of the needle retaining base to mate with a mating ridge on the inside of the tube. This allows the needle retaining base to be locked in position during use of the safety syringe.
The tube comprises a cap that can be opened to allow for a vacuum vial to be inserted into the tube or closed before or after use to prevent contact with the flow tube. The cap has tabs that allow the cap to be snapped and held onto slots provided in flanges of the tube. A tab is provided for snapping into a mating notch in the wall of the tube after the cap is opened. A slide track is provided in the side of the tube. The slide track comprises a slanted safety lock slot, a zigzag notch, an L section, and an ear tab. The slide track guides the button attached to the needle retaining base in the correct position as the needle retaining base travels through the tube. A locking ridge on the inside of the tube mates with the slot in the sidewall of the needle retaining base to allow the needle retaining base to be locked in position during use of the safety syringe. An opening in the top and side of the tube comprises a closed section and an open section. The closed section prevents the needle mounting base from being inadvertently removed. The open section allows the needle mounting base to be removed if desired when the button is moved into the L section of the tube. The ear tab functions to lock the button, the needle retaining base, and the needle mounting base in a fixed place. The needle mounting base may be removed from the safety syringe by pushing in the button when the button is locked in the L section by the ear tab.
To prepare the safety syringe for use, a vacuum vial with seal is inserted into the opening of the tube until the tip of the flow tube punctures the seal of the vacuum vial. When the seal is punctured, the vacuum pressure in the vial will act as a suction and draw blood from the patient, through the needle and the flow tube, and into the vial. The slot is provided in the sidewall of the needle retaining base to mate with a mating ridge on the inside of the tube. This allows the needle retaining base to be locked in position during use of the safety syringe.
The needle, needle mounting base, needle retaining base, and button can be placed in an in-use or ready to use position. As mentioned previously, the slot is provided in the sidewall of the needle retaining base to mate with a mating ridge on the inside of the tube. This allows the needle retaining base to be locked in position during use of the safety syringe and prevents the needle assembly from inadvertently retracting into the tube. Note, the zigzag notch in the slide track is provided for safety protection to prevent the needle assembly from inadvertently extending or protruding from the tube or from moving into an in-use position. The saw tooth nature of the zigzag notch will catch or inhibit movement of the button. In a closed or retracted position, the button is snapped into the slanted safety lock slot of the slide track. Due to the slanted nature of the safety lock slot, the needle assembly is cocked into an angled position. This prevents the needle from inadvertently protruding from the end of the tube and endangering the safety of medical workers. This also easily identifies the safety syringe as used and prevents re-use of the safety syringe.
A top tab protrudes from the top end of the needle mounting base. A bottom tab protrudes from the bottom end of the needle mounting base. The top tab and bottom tab provide a slot for mating with the end tip of the button thereby affixing the button and the needle mounting base. Note, in this position the closed section of the tube holds the needle mounting base in place and prevents the needle mounting base from being inadvertently removed. An opening in the top and side of the tube comprises a closed section and an open section. As mentioned previously, the closed section prevents the needle mounting base from being inadvertently removed. The open section allows the needle mounting base to be removed if desired when the button is moved into the L section of the tube. The ear tab functions to lock the button, the needle retaining base, and the needle mounting base in a fixed place. The needle mounting base may be removed from the safety syringe by pushing in the button when the button is locked in the L section by the ear tab. In this way, the needle mounting base and needle can be easily removed from the tube. Thereafter, the needle mounting base and needle can be disposed of properly. Since the materials of the button, tube, and needle retaining base are of similar materials, these components can be recycled after the needle and needle mounting base have been removed.
These and other objectives of the present invention will become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.